Disarray Distortion - Four Newbish "parts-swapping" questions...

[Caldo71]

Hi Folks! First time here, and first time sourcing all my own parts for a stompbox build. Sooo...

I'm TRYING to source ALL my parts from a single source—Small Bear—as they come recommended on this forum, seem very stomp-box-centric, and frankly I just want the ease of buying all my sh*t in one place. But there are just a few things I'm not finding or am unsure of how the specs affect things, being a bit of a newb in sourcing. This is specific to the Disarray "Recharged" Distortion build. So let me just put my four big questions in a list:

1. THE FILM CAPS IN C6, C10, C12, C15, C16, and C17: Do these need to be "high voltage" or can they be "low voltage" from the Small Bear menu categories. I'm assuming it's LOW voltage I need, and the values seem to fit, but I just didn't wanna blow anything up.
   
   
2. THE TWO ZENER DIODES: These are listed in the build PDF as 51E, 51V Zeners. Don't see anything like that in the Small Bear Zeners list. 51 volts sounds like a f$%k ton of voltage, but what do I know. Is it possible PedalPCB means 5.1 volts? Those, they have. Spill.
   
   
3. THE COLORED LEDs: PedalPCB wants me to buy two reds, and a blue. These three LEDs shape the clipping structure, right? Small Bear doesn't have blue...only green. Would it really matter at all if I swapped green for blue? And how exactly are these different light frequencies shaping tone or gain or whatever.
   
   BONUS LED QUESTION: I'm supposed to buy the "diffused" variety, correct?
   
   Thanks very much in advance for your kind, succinct, non-convoluted, and non-newb-baiting answers...seriously...

 

[PapaBear]

As long as your running at 9v low voltage caps should be fine, pretty sure those zeners would be 5.1. it's not the color of the diodes that might have an effect it's the forward voltage, my guess green would be fine
EDIT: there are a number of build reports on the disarray if you search for it, looks like zeners aren't even necessary, LEDS are diffused and looking at the datasheets I'd stay with blue

 

[Robert]

1) You don't need high voltage caps... some folks prefer them, but they aren't required (and will be physically larger / harder to fit)
2) Those are in fact 51V zeners.
3) You can use any color LED you want, the docs list what was used in the original. Will it sound different? Maybe.

 

[Caldo71]

Thanks guys! @PedalPCB ...when you say "the docs list what was used in the original", what "docs" are you referring to and where can I find 'em?

@Barry I'll go find those build reports, assumedly in this forum, and see what others experienced!

 

[peccary]

Thanks guys! @PedalPCB ...when you say "the docs list what was used in the original", what "docs" are you referring to and where can I find 'em?

@Barry I'll go find those build reports, assumedly in this forum, and see what others experienced!

If you look in the "Description" section on the page for the PCB you want, there is a link that will say "Download build docs." It should make life a lot easier (at leas it does for me with my terrible eyesight!). Here's the one for the Disarray: https://docs.pedalpcb.com/project/Disarray.pdf

 

[Caldo71]

If you look in the "Description" section on the page for the PCB you want, there is a link that will say "Download build docs." It should make life a lot easier (at leas it does for me with my terrible eyesight!). Here's the one for the Disarray: https://docs.pedalpcb.com/project/Disarray.pdf

@peccary @PedalPCB yes of course I already have that download—'tis where my parts list quest began—but I'm just not seeing anywhere where it says anything about what was "used in the original" Suhr Riot Reloaded. There's a page of parts list for the "reloaded", a page of parts list for the standard riot, and then of course the pages showing where to place the components, the signal flow chart, and the housing.

Also, any tips on one place where I can find all those cool "plastic box" style film resistors that I see on everyone else's build photos? Small Bear's stock of 'em seems a little random.

 

[PapaBear]

@peccary @PedalPCB yes of course I already have that download—'tis where my parts list quest began—but I'm just not seeing anywhere where it says anything about what was "used in the original" Suhr Riot Reloaded. There's a page of parts list for the "reloaded", a page of parts list for the standard riot, and then of course the pages showing where to place the components, the signal flow chart, and the housing.

Also, any tips on one place where I can find all those cool "plastic box" style film resistors that I see on everyone else's build photos? Small Bear's stock of 'em seems a little random.

Box Film capacitors you can get at Tayda, Stompbox Parts, Digikey or Mouser and no there is no description pages, it's a given that PedalPCB creates boards true to the original unless noted otherwise in the description or in the Mod forum here by a member

 

[PapaBear]

Thanks guys! @PedalPCB ...when you say "the docs list what was used in the original", what "docs" are you referring to and where can I find 'em?

@Barry I'll go find those build reports, assumedly in this forum, and see what others experienced!

I make it a habit to do a search here for any build I'm doing and read all the build, troubleshooting and mod posts.

 

[peccary]

@peccary @PedalPCB yes of course I already have that download—'tis where my parts list quest began—but I'm just not seeing anywhere where it says anything about what was "used in the original" Suhr Riot Reloaded. There's a page of parts list for the "reloaded", a page of parts list for the standard riot, and then of course the pages showing where to place the components, the signal flow chart, and the housing.

Also, any tips on one place where I can find all those cool "plastic box" style film resistors that I see on everyone else's build photos? Small Bear's stock of 'em seems a little random.

I'm assuming that when the schems and boards are traced that PedalPCB attempts to use the same parts as the original, so the parts list on the docs lists them so long as they're still available. Just my assumption, though.

And as @Barry mentioned, Tayda is a great place to get box caps. I also like their resistors (Royal Ohm) as they can be bought in smaller numbers and they've been reliably on spec.

 

[Caldo71]

I make it a habit to do a search here for any build I'm doing and read all the build, troubleshooting and mod posts.

I looked around—definitely some here-and-there tips on the Disarray but no true blow-by-blows. But @Barry I went to Tayda and hell yes that is definitely my happy place for the box resistors. You can see just looking at their stock that the box resistors I'm seeing in people's build pics are from there...gives a newb like me some piece-of-mind knowing I'm not f@$ing that up. They DO all seem to be pretty high voltage—generally around 100V.

 

[Caldo71]

I'm assuming that when the schems and boards are traced that PedalPCB attempts to use the same parts as the original, so the parts list on the docs lists them so long as they're still available. Just my assumption, though.

And as @Barry mentioned, Tayda is a great place to get box caps. I also like their resistors (Royal Ohm) as they can be bought in smaller numbers and they've been reliably on spec.

@peccary yeah suddenly I'm having a lot more fun over at Tayda...their prices on everything are literally HALF what Small Bear charges, and all the other stuff you said.